The Brave Hunter Finlay

Long, long ago, in the wild mountains of the far north of Scotland, there lived a brave hunter named Finlay with his young sister.

Every morning, Finlay would go hunting with his dogs—for the noble stag, the grouse, or the mountain hare—while leaving his sister at home. And each time he left, he would instruct her to keep the fire burning in the hearth and never to open the window that faced north.

Far to the north, beyond the snowy peak of the mountain, in a deep cave, lived evil giants. These giants loved the cold northern wind and could not stand the heat of a roaring fire.

The most wicked and cunning of the giants was old Cailleach.

Rumors had it that the giants' mountain cave held vast treasures and even magical objects, but no one had ever dared to venture there to claim them.

Now, you must know that Finlay’s sister was a very reckless girl. She had never seen the giants, not even their footprints. And what she couldn’t see with her own eyes, she refused to believe. So, when Finlay left the house, she didn’t bother to add peat to the fire, and if the hearth smoked, she would boldly fling open the north-facing window to let the smoke out.

One day, she did both things Finlay had warned her against: she opened the north-facing window and forgot to add peat to the fire, and the hearth went out. As she stepped outside, she saw a handsome stranger sitting on the doorstep. He greeted her warmly, chatted about this and that, and eventually, she invited him inside.

Now, this handsome youth was none other than the youngest of the giants who lived in that very cave. To avoid being recognized, he had taken on a human form. He asked the girl to promise not to tell her brother about his visit.

The foolish girl—it would have been better if she hadn’t agreed! But she hastily gave him her word. And that was all he needed. Now he could enchant her so thoroughly that she would fall madly in love with him.

He charmed the poor girl completely, and eventually, she even agreed to leave her brother’s house and run away with the stranger. Worse still, he made her swear that if her brother tried to stop her and fought him, she would not help her own brother.

With that, the young giant left Finlay’s house.

Evening came. Tired Finlay returned home from the hunt with his dogs and, without realizing it, wandered into an unfamiliar hollow. This surprised him all the more because he thought he knew every hollow and dell in his mountains. There, in the shade of rowan trees and firs, by a clear stream, he saw a hut. Behind the hut, a plowed field stretched up the hillside. The field was already green with sprouts, even though spring in these harsh mountain lands had only just begun.

Finlay ordered his dogs to lie still and wait, then approached the hut and knocked on the door. A pretty girl opened it, and inside, he saw an old woman.

"Hello, Finlay!" said the old woman.

"How do you know my name?" Finlay asked in surprise. "And where did you come from, here in our mountains—you, this pretty girl, your house, the rowan trees, and all this?"

"Call me simply the Good Witch," said the old woman. "This girl is my daughter. We are here to save you, Finlay! Though you are a brave hunter, even the brave need warning of danger. Do you know that today the youngest of the giants visited your house? Your sister invited him in, and he managed to ensnare her with his evil charms. Tomorrow he will return to kill you with an enchanted blue sword."

"This is bitter news to hear!" said Finlay.

"Ask your sister nothing," the old woman warned. "Remember, she is now under the spell of evil."

Finlay returned home with his dogs and asked his sister nothing.

The next morning, he set out for the hunt as usual but didn’t go far, hiding instead. As soon as the giant appeared on the road—yes, the very one who had disguised himself as a handsome youth and ensnared Finlay’s sister—Finlay set his dogs on him. The giant was so startled that he even forgot about the enchanted blue sword he had planned to kill Finlay with.

But, alas, the dogs barked loudly, and the girl came out to see what was happening. The giant grabbed her by the hand, and they ran off together.

Finlay was left alone.

But he knew it wouldn’t be for long. Soon, the giants would come to avenge their youngest brother. He barred the door with a log, added more peat to the hearth, and soon a bright fire was blazing in the center of the hut. Yet Finlay still shivered.

Suddenly, he heard a terrible noise, like thunder in the mountains. It was the sound of large stones tumbling down the slope, dislodged by the feet of a descending giant.

The giant approached Finlay’s house and roared:

"Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum! Who dares bar the door? Shame on those who deny a weary traveler shelter!"

And he shouldered the door, broke it down, and burst into the hut. But Finlay was ready. He stood shielded by the blazing hearth, bow and arrows at the ready. As soon as the giant entered, Finlay let loose an arrow. But it only wounded the giant. Roaring in pain, the giant lunged at Finlay.

It’s hard to say what would have happened to brave Finlay if not for his loyal dogs. They attacked the giant, and while he fought them off, Finlay shot a second arrow and killed the monster.

The next morning, Finlay hurried to the familiar hollow to see the Good Witch, bringing the giant’s head with him.

"You are a brave lad!" praised the old woman. "How did you manage it?"

Finlay told her everything—how his dogs had helped him defeat the terrible giant.

"Well, this battle was not the true battle," said the Good Witch. "The battle lies ahead. Take care of your dogs!"

That night, Finlay was alone in the hut again, for his sister had run off with the young giant. In the middle of the night, he heard a terrible noise again, like thunder in the mountains, even louder than before. Heavy stones rolled down the slope, and a loud knock came at the hut’s door.

"Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!" roared the giant. "You killed my son, but you won’t kill me!"

The giant broke down the door and stormed into the hut. But Finlay was ready. In the firelight, he saw that this giant had five heads, each more terrifying than the last. A fierce battle ensued, and Finlay would have been doomed if not for his loyal dogs. They bit and clawed at the giant, and while he fought them off, Finlay drew his sword and plunged it into the monster’s heart.

In the morning, Finlay went again to the Good Witch and said:

"My dogs helped me again. Without them, it would have been the end!"

"No," said the old woman, "this battle was not the true battle. The battle lies ahead! Listen carefully, brave hunter. Tonight, old Cailleach herself will come to avenge her husband and eldest son. But she will come quietly, without noise or thunder. She will speak to you in a sweet voice and ask to be let in. But remember: she comes to take your life! Do exactly as I tell you, and all will end well."

And the Good Witch taught Finlay what to do and what not to do.

When night fell, Finlay sat alone in the hut once more, listening to the silence. The hearth burned brightly, and the dogs lay beside him, warming themselves.

Suddenly, there was a faint rustling, like a dead leaf brushing against the wind, and Finlay heard a soft, trembling voice outside the door...
— Let in a tired, poor old woman to warm herself by the hearth! Open the door!

Finlay shouted to her:

— I will let you into the house, old woman, if you promise to behave quietly and not harm anyone in my home.

The old woman promised.

And Finlay let her into the house. She truly turned out to be a very frail, hunched old woman. Bowing to Finlay, she sat down by the hearth on one side, while he sat on the other. The dogs anxiously scurried around the hut, baring their teeth and growling low.

— What scary dogs you have! — the old woman quavered in a trembling voice. — Better tie them up!

— The dogs will never harm a good old woman, — said Finlay.

— Tie them up, I beg you. I am so afraid of vicious dogs!

— I have nothing to tie them with, — he said.

— I will give you three hairs from my head. They are so strong that you could weave an anchor chain for a large ship from them.

Finlay took the three hairs and pretended to tie up the dogs. In reality, he simply ordered them to sit quietly in the corner.

— Have you tied them up already? — asked the old woman.

— You can see for yourself how quietly they are lying, — he replied.

The old woman looked at the dogs and calmed down. Without saying another word, they continued to sit by the hearth, and suddenly it seemed to Finlay that the old woman was beginning to grow.

— What’s happening to you? — he asked. — It’s as if you’re growing?

— Oh, nonsense! — said the old woman. — It’s the cold night’s fault. I was frozen and curled up, but now I’ve warmed up by your hearth.

They fell silent again. Finlay kept his eyes on the old woman and finally said:

— You’re definitely growing before my eyes! Don’t deny it!

The old woman frowned and said angrily:

— Yes, I am growing! And you killed my husband and my eldest son!

With these words, she jumped up and pressed her head against the ceiling, causing the hut to shake. Finlay also jumped to his feet, but the giantess managed to grab him by the hair. It was fortunate that she couldn’t break her promise and attack him in his own home. But she dragged him outside. Then the dogs leapt from their spots and lunged at her.

Finlay fought the giantess for his life. They rolled on the ground, beating each other, and of course, she would have overpowered Finlay if not for the dogs. They bit and snapped at her, and so Finlay managed to pin her down and press his sword to her throat.

At this, she seemed to relent and began to promise the brave hunter any riches if only he would release her.

— I will give you all the treasures from our cave! — said the giantess.

— No! — replied the hunter.

— You will receive an enchanted sword that never misses its mark, whether man or beast!

— No! — replied the hunter.

— I will give you a magic wand that can turn a stone pillar into a brave warrior and a brave warrior into a stone pillar!

— No! — replied the hunter, and he plunged his sword straight into the giantess’s heart.

This is what the Good Sorceress had commanded him to do.

Then he applied red moss, sphagnum, to his wounds, and by morning he was already healed. He went to the hut of the Good Sorceress and told her everything that had happened, how the dogs had helped him defeat old Cailleach.

— Now you are a hero, Finlay! — said the Good Sorceress. — That was a battle indeed! — And she petted the dogs.

— Tell me, — Finlay asked the Good Sorceress, — how can I obtain the giants’ treasures and the enchanted sword that never misses?

— Tonight, my daughter and I were planning to go to the giants’ cave to retrieve my magic wand, — said the Good Sorceress. — If you wish, you can come with us.

The brave Finlay gladly agreed. And when the moon rose, the three of them set off for the giants’ cave. The Good Sorceress told her daughter and Finlay to gather plenty of dry heather. She piled this heather at the entrance to the cave and lit a fire.

— Giants dislike fire, — she said, — and we will smoke them out of the cave.

And so it happened. The smoke from the burning heather filled the cave, and soon the head of a young giant appeared. His eyes watered from the smoke, he sneezed, and could barely breathe.

— Don’t shoot him! — the Good Sorceress shouted to Finlay when she saw him aiming his bow at the giant. — I will turn him into a stone pillar as soon as I find my magic wand.

But the young giant had already figured out what was happening. Returning to the cave, he grabbed Finlay’s sister by the hand and dashed out of the cave with her. Then, with all his might, he blew on the fire and, hiding behind the smoke screen, disappeared from sight…

Not even a week had passed before Finlay married the pretty daughter of the Good Sorceress. They lived quite happily. They knew no want—after all, they had all the giants’ treasures. And they feared no one—for they were guarded by Finlay’s loyal dogs.

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The Brave Hunter Finlay

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